Sunday, 25 September 2011

Nazareth a city with many religions and freedom of speech

Like many of the Israeli cities, Nazareth has been built on a hill. Religions are important in this town. Everywhere you look, you find a mosque, a synagogue or a church. The Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and this is also visible in Nazareth. Most Jews and Christians are moving out of the town and the Arabic community is now the largest population group. The Israeli government allows freedom of speech and this unfortunately sometimes leads to disrespectful behaviour on the street. In the example below, you see a billboard next to the Basilica of the Annunciation quoting: “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers (Holy Quran)”. Can you imagine such a billboard from the Christians in Mecca? What is the goal of the people who created this billboard at this location? Let’s work on harmony instead, without the Basilica of the Annunciation and its pilgrims, the Arabic shop owners who mainly sell souvenirs will be out of business.